Ladder for freight cars



A g 1932- G. s. cHlLEs 1,872,580

LADDER FOR FREIGHT CARS Filed March 5, 1929 r to connect the rungs to the side members.

Patented Aug. 23, 1932 GEORGE S. CHILES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI LADDER FOR r -nnicrn'r oARs Application filed March 5,'

This invention relates to ladders for freight cars, and has for its main object to provide an inexpensive ladder that 1s light in weight, inexpensive to construct, easy to install and equipped with rungs that are stronger and more rigid than the rungs of conventionel freight car ladders.

Another object is to provide a ladder for freight cars whose rungs and side members are combined in such a way that the loads imposed on the rungs are taken up dlrectly by the side members of the ladder, thereby reducing the shearing stresses and strains on the means or fastening devices that are used Figure 1 of the drawing is a side elevational view, illustrating my improved ladder installed on the bodyof a freight car.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of one of the ladder rungs and portions of the side members of the ladder to which said rung is attached.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of said rung with the side members shown in horizontal section; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the ladder, illustrating how the rungs are attached to the side members.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the preferred form of my invention, A designates one wall of the body of a freight car, B desi nates horizontally-disposed members mounted on said wall in such a way that they serve as hand holds or ladder rungs, and C designates two vertically-disposed members that carry the rungs B and which in effect serve as the side pieces of the ladder. The side members C are herein illustrated as being formed from pieces of angle-iron that are adapted to be connected to the wall A of the car body by brackets 1, as shown in broken lines in Figure 3, but I wish it to be understood that various other types and kinds of supporting members may be used for the rungs B without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The rungs or hand holds B consist of pressed metal members, each of which is constructed from a fiat plate or strip of metal that is die-shaped, or pressed so as to form 1929. Serial N0. 7 344,473.

a straight, bar-like portion of cylindrical shape or other preferred tubular shape in cross section, which is provided at its ends with integral portions for attaching it to the supporting members C of the structure. the form of my invention herein shown the attaching portions at the ends of the rung B each consist of a forked or bifurcated device 2 whose legs 3 and 3 are disposed horizon-,

tally and are arranged slightly staggered orfio in offset relationship, so as to permit the sup porting members C to which the'rungs are attached to lie between the two legs 3 and 3 of each of the forked connecting devices 2. This method of joining the rungs B tothefi side members or supporting members G of the structure is'highly desirable, in that it tends to preventthe rungs from twisting or turning relatively to the supporting members,

due to the fact that each rung has legs or "To lateral extensions 3 at the ends of same which lie on-one side of the supporting members and also legs 'or lateral extensions 3 that lie on the other side of the supporting members.

said legs and supporting members beingto ioined together by a welding operation or by means of fastening devices 4. I

If the side members or supporting members C are formed from angle-irons, as her-em illustrated. the flanges m of said members which project outwardly from the wall of the car are prov ded with slots 5, shown-more clearly in Figure 4, so as to receive the lateral proiecting legs 3 of the forked connecting devices 2 that lie behind or which bear against the inner side of the flanges z of the supporting members C which are disposed parallel to the wall A of the car. Due to the fact that each of the rungs B is provided at its ends with lateral extensions orintegral port ons which fit in slots or openmgs formed in the supporting members C, the shearing stresses and strains on the means that is used to fasten the rungs to the supporting members are reduced to a minimum,

because the loads on the rungs are directly taken up by the supportin members C of the structure. Moreover, if the fastening devices 4 or other means that is used to attach aim) the rungs to the supporting members C fail,

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the rungs will not become displaced or drop out of position, because each rung is interlocked with the supporting structure by the devices at the opposite ends of the rung which project into the slots 5 in the supporting members C.

Having thus described my inventi0n,.,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Ina ladder or grab iron structure, a side member provided with two angularly-dis posed parts, a metal rung of substantially tubular shape, and an integral plate-like attaching portion at one end of said rung provided with staggered legs that bear upon oppositefaces of-one of the said parts of said sidemember, the other part of said side member being provided with a slot that receives I one of said legs.

2. In awladder or grab iron structure, a

side member, a run-g tonne-d from a metal platedeionned so as to produce a rung-0f substantially tubular shape provided atone end with aplate-like portion. that is bifurcated to form attachinglegg-said legs being ofiset -or staggered so that they will bear vagainstopposite 'facesof said side member,

and means for securing said legs to said side member, said side member having a means that co-operates with one of said attaching to reduce theshearing strains on said securing-means.

3. a ladder or grab iron structure, a side member formed from a vertically-disposed angle-iron, one of the legs of which is proadded with an opening, and a rung having a plate-like portion at one end thereof provided with attaching legs, one of the attaching legs being positioned in the said opening in-the leg of the said angle-iron, and said atvtachingz; legs being ofl'set so as to bear against the opposite faces of the other leg of said angle-iron.

4. In aladder or grab iron structure for ozusa side member consisting ot a verticallydisposed angle-iron, one of the legs of which is provided with a hole, and a sheet metal rung of substantially tubular shape having .an integral plate-like portion at one end thereof. provided with ofiset legs, one'of which legs is positionedin the said hole in the leg of. said angle-iron, and said ofiset legs, being arranged so as. to bear against Opposite faces of the other leg of the angle- 7 iron.

GEORGE S. OHILES. 

